DIVISION OF PETROLEUM CHEMISTRY AND ORGANIC CATALYSIS

Date and place of birth: September 26, 1937 Tbilisi, USSR
Academic education: M.Sci., Department of Chemistry Moscow State University (1960); Ph.D. (Chemistry) (1963), Doctor of Science (Chemistry, 1977), Professor of Chemistry (1981) Moscow State University, .
Since 1983 up to date. Head of the chair of Petrochemistry and Organic catalysis, Department of Chemistry, Moscow State University. Distinctions, Honors and Fellowships
M.V. Lomonosov Award, Moscow State University (2005)
N.D. Zelinsky Prize of Russian Academy of Sciences (2002)Areas of research:
Prof. E.Karakhanov leads a large research group specialising in research in the field petrochemistry, biphasic and enviromentaly friendly homogeneous catalysis, heterogeneous catalysis, immobilised metal complexes, green chemistry, supramolecular chemistry, design of hybrid materials. Memberships
Vice-chairman of the Petrochemical Society of Russian Academy of Sciences
Member of Russian Academy of Natural Science Miscellaneous
Co-editor, “Petroleum Chemistry” (Russ) Publisher: MAIC
Co-editor. “Bulletin of Moscow State University. Chemistry” Publisher: MAIC Moscow State University
Chairman of 10th IUPAC International Symposium on Macromolecule-Metal Complexes (MMC-10, Moscow) 2003
Member of IUPAC International Advisory Board on Macromolecule-Metal Complexes (beginning 1996)
Member of IUPAC International Advisory Board on Macro- and Supramolecular Architectures and Materials (MAM)

Head of the Laboratory: professor E.A.Karakhanov
Research activities within the group cover a broad range of petrochemistry, smart trasition metal complex catalysis, heterogeneous catalysis and can be divided into several categories:

HOMOGENEOUS CATALYSIS FOR PETROCHEMICAL and FINE CHEMICAL SYNTHESYS(key persons prof. E.Karakhanov, Ass.Prof. E.Runova, Senior Ass. A.Maksimov)
Over the last decade, homogeneous catalysis with transition metal complexes has led to revolutionary new synthetic possibilities not only on a laboratory scale, but has also established itself in many different technical applications. Efficient homogeneous catalysts are nowadays known in virtually all areas of synthesis, from bulk chemicals and commodities, through fine chemicals and pharmaceuticals, to polymers and specialist materials The focus of our investigation is on concepts of self-assembly, non-covalent interactions, host-guest chemistry, and structural templates. Major research areasDesign of supramolecular metal complex catalysts with molecular recognition abilities
Our long-term goal is the development of methods for the design of selective catalyst for oxydation, hydrogenation hydroformylation, carbonylation, epoxidation using host molecules – cyclodextrins and calixarenes. Modified water-soluble macrocyclic receptors can form complexes of inclusion "host-guest" with nonpolar substrates due to a hydrophobicity of internal cavity. The reaction of these catalysts is based on the substrate binding to both the metal site and the receptor cavity, which can influence the selectivity and the pathway of the reaction. The metal ion coordinated to a ligand group bound to cyclodextrin or to calixarene can enhance the stability of the emerging inclusion complexes by the metal ion coordination with substrate. It can also stabilize the transition state, and ensure a high selectivity of the reaction owing to a specific orientation of a substrate. Moreover, as a consequence of the formation of the host–guest complexes, some parts of the molecule are accessible to be attacked by active species, whereas the other are blocked, which can change the selectivity of the reaction.

Carbon Dioxide as C1-Building Block
The objective consists in combining synthesis potential of carbon dioxide with reactive intermediate products of petrochemical origin and to make this combination potentially usable in industry. In the sense of a “green chemistry”, for instance, it is aimed at substituting the extremely toxic phosgene by carbon dioxide as reactive C1 synthesis building block. We have succeeded in design of new homogenious catalytic system based on polyethylenoxide Rh and Ru complexes for hydrogenation of CO2 to formic acid. Catalysts were microencapsulated in hybrid material based on polyethyleneoxide and were used repeatedly without activity decrease.